One Last Memory
by Lucathia Rykatu
Summary: They didn't bid each other farewell, nor did they exchange one last glance, but Niou would be back. Set during the U-17 selection camp.


**One Last Memory**

by Lucathia

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis and make no profit from writing this.

**Notes:** This was written for the switching_it_up livejournal community. This fic contains spoilers for Shin Tenipuri up to chapter 34. At the time this was written, only 34 chapters had been released, so this doesn't take into account any new canon that might come into play after that.

* * *

They didn't bid each other farewell, nor did they exchange one last glance. One was a winner on the path of more training. One was a loser who was being booted home to spend the rest of his summer days lazing about. Either of them could have come out the victor of that tiebreaker, but reality only allowed one of them to remain. This time, Yagyuu managed to trick Niou, but both knew that Niou wouldn't let Yagyuu keep the upper hand for long. Even without the camp, Niou wasn't going to slack off and let Yagyuu advance without him.

It was just Niou's luck that he ended up on the same side as Sanada. He had entertained thoughts of scheming coaches, but he hadn't thought he'd be right on the mark. Now he was stuck with Sanada and the other not-so-fun Rikkai members for several days to come. Niou sure didn't need Sanada's brand of discipline following him around even outside of school, though it was starting to become obvious that Sanada didn't quite have the same authority here. It was both amusing and humiliating to watch. Who did these high schoolers think they were?

Yanagi, on the other hand, seemed to have taken things much better than Sanada. Niou hadn't pegged Yanagi for a showoff, but he was definitely showing off with Seigaku's data master. Yanagi had been sentimental enough to hand his spot in the camp over to their little devil - how Akaya had managed to accept that without blowing a fuse had been a miracle - but Niou doubted Akaya could have known that Yanagi would actually be happy to be part of the losing team.

Out of the three Rikkai members with him, Jackal sort of faded into the shadows compared to everyone else. He certainly wasn't Marui or Akaya who Niou could convince to take part in his plans, nor was he Yagyuu who would frown at his plans but end up making suggestions that made them even more foolproof. Jackal was Jackal and thus very dependable. Niou couldn't think of anyone else - other than Yagyuu, but that was because of a different reason altogether - he'd rather have by his side in the darkness of the cave they slept in. Though come to think of it, perhaps Kabaji wouldn't have been a bad shield either from the bats, but Kabaji wasn't from Rikkai.

Their training, if it could even be called training, suited Niou just fine. Although he wasn't exactly having a blast, he felt high on adrenaline. He supposed being chased by feral eagles did that to people. If he _accidentally_ lured someone else into the eagles' way, like that bouncing blob from Hyoutei, well, that was just an accident. There were a number of straight-laced players in their mix, Sanada for one, who certainly didn't approve of the methods the coach employed. If Yagyuu had been here, he'd be frowning and pushing his glasses up. That thought sobered Niou.

Niou didn't mind the craziness of this so-called training, but there was no way he'd let himself fall behind.

That was why, when Sanada and that first year brat from Seigaku decided to start a revolution, Niou was right there with them, perhaps even more into it than that gekokujou-crazy guy from Hyoutei.

* * *

After the first day, Yagyuu woke up with aching muscles. Six hours of drills had guaranteed him the pain, and he knew he wasn't the only one suffering. Marui woke up groaning, and Kirihara woke up in a similar fashion - after Marui poked him awake. Yukimura masked his discomfort much better than any of them, but Yagyuu could see his captain's stiff motions as he made his way out of their room. However, by the time they reached the cafeteria, Yukimura no longer displayed any signs of stiffness. None of them could afford to in this place.

It was no surprise that the four of them had chosen to stick together. Even though they had each eliminated one of their own, they were still teammates in the end. Kirihara had taken it the hardest. He threw himself into the drills, gritting his teeth and snarling when he couldn't do something right. There was no Yanagi or Jackal around to rein him in, only Yukimura who smiled and complimented the _environment,_ spurring Kirihara on even more because he knew it was his fault that Yanagi couldn't stay. Kirihara didn't know, however, that Yukimura had wholly approved of Yanagi's plans. Rikkai's main goal at this selection camp was seeing to Kirihara's growth after all.

Yagyuu hadn't expected his middle school tennis career to last past nationals, but here he was with one last memory to make, except there was no white-haired trickster with him. Yagyuu didn't have second doubts about his match with Niou. It had been a match he desired, and Niou was not an opponent he'd allow himself to lose against. The match had been close, very close. He most likely would not have won if he hadn't taken a page out of Kaidou's book by using the same pose he used with a straight shot to hit a curved shot. If Kaidou could perform a straight laser from a snake, there was no reason Yagyuu couldn't perform a curved shot from a laser.

Although losing and going home hadn't been an option, Yagyuu couldn't deny that there was something lacking with this training camp even though he was supposed to have won. It wasn't making his adrenaline run, and while others felt they were already improving in leaps and bounds from borrowing the facilities, Yagyuu felt his tennis was stagnant. The training was monotonous and mechanic. Their basic skills were being honed more than ever, but there was not an ounce of creativity involved.

There were, at least, a few players that made things slightly more interesting for Yagyuu. Liliadent Crauza was at the top of that list. The blond boy spoke very little Japanese and knew even less of Japanese customs, but that only made the blond extremely curious about things like samurai and harakiri that Yagyuu had a pleasure explaining. Sharing a table at breakfast with Crauza allowed Yagyuu to practice his English as well, a good thing considering how his studies were falling on the wayside with this training camp.

Yagyuu shared the sixth court with Yukimura, Marui, and nine other middle schoolers. Kirihara, surprisingly, was a court above them where none of his sempai could keep an eye on him. It was an unexpected situation, but perhaps that was what Kirihara needed - for them to let go and for him to meld with players outside of Rikkai. Yagyuu watched, glasses glinting when Shiraishi did what none of the Rikkai players had ever been able to do before. He managed to draw out Kirihara's potential without Kirihara losing himself. When Yagyuu looked towards Yukimura, his captain's satisfaction was evident in his smirk.

After the matches ended, Yagyuu returned to his court to practice, wondering if he'd be able to aim for the top and improve like how Kirihara was improving. It would be impossible if he couldn't break out of his slump. He began rallying with Hyoutei's Oshitari with this thought at the front of his mind. Oshitari's mysterious air was a comfort to Yagyuu in the absence of the familiar trickery he was used to dealing with.

* * *

Before supposedly getting booted home, Niou hadn't explored the layout of the camp. He was regretting it now because it was highly likely he'd get caught if he snuck over to the main camp grounds like this. He managed to pull the speed idiot from Shitenhouji over to pick his mind, since he was one of the three who had snuck into the main camp grounds to steal sake for their coach.

"What do you need to know that for?" asked Oshitari Kenya with a raised eyebrow. Today's training had them jumping over rocks in a stream. He looked like he was itching to get back to it if his fidgety behavior were any indication.

"To deliver a personal challenge," Niou replied.

"Ah, then I want in."

Niou hadn't wanted to bring someone along with him in his night visit - one extra person was one extra liability - but then, he wasn't responsible for the other boy's actions. He shrugged. They began planning.

Once night fell, Kenya led Niou through the back of the cave, using the path he had taken with Tanishi and Echizen, though this time he was more careful. Their bleached hair stood out starkly against the night sky once they left the cave - the moonlight saw to it - but there wasn't much Niou could do about it. He had considered stealing Sanada's cap - Kenya could steal Shishido's - but even that wouldn't have done them much good when their shirts and shorts were white as well. In other words, they stood out. Badly.

From Kenya's observation from his last trip here, Niou deduced that the dorms must be located on the opposite side of the camp. They had security cameras, guards, and guard dogs to dodge, but Niou merely smirked. This was going to be a cinch.

* * *

Yagyuu didn't know why he had woken up, just that he had. It was still dark, and he couldn't see anything without his glasses. He fumbled for them, trying to locate them with his fingers, but instead of a cool, metal frame, he felt something warm instead.

That was when his hand got grabbed. Something heavy settled on top of him, and a hand covered his mouth to muffle his voice. He hadn't even had enough time to consider reaching for the lamp instead.

Yagyuu stared.

"Shh, it's me. Don't wake up the others," murmured his mysterious visitor next to his ear.

The hands dropped, as if sure that Yagyuu wasn't going to give anything away. The owner of the hands was correct.

"Niou-kun?" ventured Yagyuu. The voice was all too familiar, just not in the right setting. Yagyuu would have thought he was dreaming if not for the warmth of Niou's proximity. Now that his initial confusion had abated, he could hear and feel Niou's quick breaths in the quietness of the room. They were hot against his neck. He shivered, though he was far from cold.

"Glad you haven't forgotten me," replied Niou as he pulled away. Yagyuu could imagine the smirk that must be present on his face.

"How did you know this was my bed?" asked Yagyuu as he sat up. There was a lot he could have asked instead, but his mind was still processing Niou's presence, and his body still remembered the lingering feel of Niou's against his.

"Of course I'd know. I can tell by your breathing."

Yagyuu snorted, an unbecoming noise, but Niou's words had been absurd. He knew Niou's words held some truth, but if anyone other than Niou had uttered those words to him, Yagyuu would have thought them creepy.

"What, don't believe me? Whatever. I'm here to challenge you."

Niou leaned down until Yagyuu could feel the tip of his rat-tail brushing against his face.

"I'm coming for you," Niou breathed. "You better be ready."

Yagyuu felt himself grinning fiercely, his grin unseen in the dark. Inside, he felt the burning desire to be out there on the courts right this moment.

This was what had been lacking, what he hadn't known he had been waiting for.

* * *

Niou was thankful for very little, but he was completely thankful for the super helpful list that showed where each player was rooming. He located Yagyuu's name - figured he'd be rooming with their fellow Rikkai players - and split up with Kenya who seemed to be off visiting his cousin.

Picking the lock to Yagyuu's room was no easy feat, but it was easy compared to sneaking past the guards. Kenya was fast, Niou had to give him that, but he lacked subtlety and had almost gotten them caught more than once. They would have been caught if Niou hadn't mimicked one of the guard's voices to throw them off so that they could safely reach the dorms.

The hallway was fairly dark, but opening the door illuminated the room for a split second. Niou quickly slipped inside and closed the door behind him, hoping he hadn't already woken the inhabitants. When all remained quiet, Niou let himself relax. Before he had closed the door, he had caught a glimpse of red and blue hair. That eliminated two beds.

He shuffled towards one of the other beds and stood there listening to the breathing coming from the bed. Was this Yagyuu, or was it Akaya? Niou couldn't tell when his own breathing was so loud in his ears even though he was trying damn hard to keep quiet. Sneaking around was making his heart pound.

He reached out and got a fistful of curly hair that he let go immediately. Shit, it was the kid. He held his breath. Akaya grunted and turned, blankets rustling. Luckily for Niou, Akaya was a heavy sleeper.

He made his way over to the last bed, knowing it had to be Yagyuu's. He stood there listening to Yagyuu's calm breathing and felt himself calming down as he tried to match it. He was still wondering how he should wake him up when he heard a hitch in Yagyuu's breathing. He should have known his presence alone would be enough to wake a light sleeper like Yagyuu.

When he heard Yagyuu's bed creak and felt a hand touch his, Niou moved. He grabbed Yagyuu's hand and swung himself onto the bed.

"Mmph," Yagyuu tried to say against Niou's hand. It kind of tickled.

Niou smirked and issued his challenge. He couldn't see Yagyuu very well in the dark, but he could imagine Yagyuu's eyes trying to find him. Without his glasses, Yagyuu's eyes were most likely wide and open. Since neither of them could see very well, Niou positioned himself nice and close against Yagyuu. This way, he wouldn't risk waking the others up.

Yagyuu better be at the top when Niou came for him. Otherwise, everything'd be meaningless.

* * *

Yukimura knew they had a visitor during the night. Yagyuu could tell from the way his captain was looking at him. The other two, Marui and Kirihara, didn't seem to have noticed anything. Kirihara was yawning and stretching while Marui chattered away next to him.

Yagyuu fell into step with his captain as they headed to the courts.

"They'll be back. They haven't left yet," said Yagyuu.

The expression on Yukimura's face could only be described as one of a predator that had learned his prey had multiplied. It was amusement mixed with brimming confidence.

"Is that so?" he replied. "No matter, my goal hasn't changed."

The drills that day felt less endless, more meaningful. He felt his blood pump through his veins, his heartbeat loud and clear and fast. One more squat, one more curl. He could feel his muscles strengthening, his endurance growing. He wanted to improve. He needed to win, or else he'd get overtaken and devoured. He was not a Rikkai member if he couldn't make it to the top and stay there. He was not Yagyuu if he couldn't match up with Niou.

When the time came to pair up with someone for free practice, Oshitari came to find him this time.

"Did you get a visitor yesterday?" he asked. "Kenya dropped by in the middle of the night and almost woke the whole place up."

Yagyuu chuckled politely. "Ah, I did."

"Looks like everyone's still around. Hard to believe. I heard they've been climbing cliffs and dodging eagles."

Yagyuu revised his opinion of Oshitari. It seemed he wasn't quite as mysterious as he first appeared. Hearing Oshitari rattle off what Kenya had revealed to him made him remember the rumors about how the Oshitari cousins always had to outdo each other. Oshitari probably had a hand in almost waking the whole place up. Yagyuu could imagine the cousins getting into a shouting match right there in the middle of the night about whose training was more difficult.

But really, eagles and cliffs? Perhaps they even slept outside. No wonder Niou had smelled of sweat and dirt, though the feel of Niou against him had been the only thing Yagyuu had noticed at the time. The training Niou and the others were doing sounded wild and thrilling, entirely unlike the structured training they had here. Although Niou should be enjoying such reckless training, Yagyuu actually thought that Niou would have liked disrupting orderly training much better. There had to be order first, or else what was there to disturb? If something was already chaotic, more chaos was merely a drop in the bucket. He wondered how he would have fared if he had switched places with Niou. Perhaps he would have enjoyed a touch of recklessness.

After they finished rallying, Yagyuu and several others headed over to the bulletin board to see which shuffle matches were scheduled for that day.

Marui whistled.

"You're going against someone from court four, you know, that court of death!"

The fourth court consisted entirely of high school players that none of them had been able to win against yet. Yagyuu fixed his glasses, ready for the challenge.

When the time came, Yagyuu would be waiting for Niou at the top.

* * *

the end

Thanks for reading! Hope to hear from you~. This was my attempt to explore Shin Tenipuri a bit since it's even crazier than its predecessor, and Konomi-sensei just had to separate everyone like that. I have no idea where the plot is going, but I'm hoping this "revolution" becomes something cool. I'm liking the current focus (around chapter 30 or so) on the winning team. I like tennis in a tennis manga after all, haha.


End file.
